


More Than Explosions In The Sky

by originalramune67



Series: Brooklyn Boys Far From Home [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Birthdays, Bucky Barnes - Freeform, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, M/M, So does Steve, Statue of Liberty - Freeform, Stucky - Freeform, bad Captain America jokes, crowns, lady liberty - Freeform, steve rogers - Freeform, they are the FUKIN OTP, they'll hug each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2015-08-10
Packaged: 2018-04-13 22:25:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4539747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/originalramune67/pseuds/originalramune67
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve's birthday had never been a big thing. First, because there'd never been any money to make it a big deal. Then, he saw no reason to change things. Yeah, maybe they'd have a little extra with dinner that night but nothing fancy. </p><p>  But fireworks. </p><p>  Fireworks are an entirely different thing. Every year, no matter what and Bucky spends years trying to convince him that the colorful explosions in the sky are just for him. </p><p>  It takes him a long long while before, no matter if Bucky is wrong or right, for Steve to start to believe him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	More Than Explosions In The Sky

Steve had never made a big deal out of his birthday. At first, it was because there was no money to make a big deal out of anything. 

Then, as he got older he just saw no reason to turn the day into a huge event. No party, no people, no cake, no presents. Just a day spent celebrating freedom and liberty, and Steve. And he extra vegetables they'd had along with dinner if they had had the money for them that year. 

Steve had found a constant of some small item the days along his birthday, but Bucky acted as if he knew nothing.

Bucky had been the one to ask about his birthday, the morning that Bucky was...leaving. 

"What will you do?"  
"Same thing. Dinner, fireworks, think...of you."

Bucky had chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Yeah? And what should I do?"

It took Steve a moment to reply, "Same as me, I guess. Listen for fireworks, think of me.

"Stevie, there ain't gonna be any fireworks over there, ya know."

Steve had shut his bright blue eyes and drawn a deep breath. 

"Then think of me. I'll always be thinking of you. Always."

So what if their hug lasted a little longer than usual?

 

Seventy years is a lot of missed fireworks, Steve thought as he sat on his Tower balcony, watching the colored pyrotechnics explode in the darkened sky.

Steve wondered if Bucky remembered, and was watching the colors and light dance across the inky black. 

 

 

The Winter Soldier sat in an abandoned warehouse, palms, flesh and metal, pressed tightly against his ears; but he cannot look away. Tears dripped from his jaw, leaving trails in the grime on his face, and his heart beats with something he doesn't know. But it makes him feel warm and safe. 

Love. 

Steve's birthday had just passed the next time that Steve saw Bucky. Bucky had come out of nowhere, from behind him and Steve had just about jumped out of his skin. Bucky had grabbed Steve by the throat, pushing him against the nearby wall. Steve could feel the bricks of the wall clinging to the fabric of his jacket and the lack of air becoming a prominent thing that his body was demanding. Focusing his attention back on Bucky, Steve's eyes drank in the sight. 

The stubble was still there, but the hollow look had disappeared ever so slightly. A ball cap sat on his head, and he wore slightly dirty. His jeans has a tear along his right knee. The long tangled hair that hashing loose the first time that Steve had seen him since...then, had been pulled back into a neat ponytail.

The need to breath had begun to grow more and more incessant but a small smile had snuck onto his face without Steve noticing. 

"Bucky?", he had choked out. 

"What. Do. The fireworks mean?"

Steve strangled out a cough. 

"What do they mean?!"

Steve began to try and pull Bucky's hand away from his neck. 

"Buck...."

Bucky looked down, as if he hadn't realized that his hand remained on Steve's throat. Suddenly real easing his grip, Steve doubled over, coughing. Steve was surprised to feel a heavy hand place itself carefully on his back. 

Finally composing himself, Steve spoke, "They're celebratory. Of America's freedom. And liberty. You know, all the things that we fought for." 

Steve had straightened himself out by the end of his speech. Bucky's eyes watched him, wary and careful and...sad? 

"I...I have this memory... Of watching them with someone special."

Steve looked down. 

"Who is the person?"

"You uh... you used to watch them with me. To celebrate my birthday. It was always kinda our thing. You used to tell me that the sky exploded just for me."

Bucky's breathing is harsh by the time Steve stops talking. His eyes dart all over Steve's face as if he is searching for a lie. Steve knows that he won't find one. 

Bucky twitches a hand up and Steve moves to meet it. Metal intertwined with flesh and Steve feels warm for the first time since he went down in the ice. 

It is the beginning of the next fireworks when knocking noises sound on Steve's tower door. Opening it, he sees Bucky standing there. 

"Bucky? How did you get in?"

"I asked the voice."

Steve was surprised when J.A.R.V.I.S spoke up, "I had recognized the lieutenant, and allowed him access to your floor. If this is unsatisfactory, I can alert the other Avengers, sir." 

Steve was quick to respond, "No! No, it's okay, J.A.R.V.I.S. Thank you." 

"Of course, sir."

That put Bucky back into Steve's attention. He moved to speak but Bucky beat him to the punch. He didn't look at him as he spoke, "I wanted to watch the fireworks. I wanted to watch the fireworks... with you." 

And this time, it's Bucky who their fingers together. 

Soon, Bucky is coming. Over for more than just fireworks displays. They talk and Steve tries to help Bucky remember and they eat together and work out, in the gym, leaving with more bruises and bigger smiles then they had arrived with. 

Sometimes, Bucky just cried and Steve held him.

Steve had cried twice in his life. The first when he was seven years old and had gotten beat up for the first time in an alleyway behind his home; the second when Bucky had "died".

But for the third, when Steve first felt that metal being warmed by the heat of his own skin. 

Fireworks had rolled around for the next time by the time Bucky, and Steve, felt comfortable enough to be themselves, together in the publicity of the Tower lounge. The large glass panes let the night life shine through them. Tony watched, unseen from the doorway of the kitchen as the scene unfolded before him. The two of them wrestled back and forth and if it weren't for the 1940's virtues, Tony would have been worried for the state of his couch. 

An object flew into the air and gently floated back down and Tony's curiosity grew as the voices of the captain and the lieutenant reached his ears. 

"'M not wearing it, Buck." Tony could hear the laughter in his voice. 

"Come on, Stevie," and Tony felt his face heat at the nickname, "it'll be funny." 

The lights shone on Bucky Barnes' metal arm and Tony could see what was in his hand. One of those green foam Statue of Liberty crown headbands clutched tightly in hand. Tony smiled as he saw the two fight back and forth. 

"Buck!"

"Stevie, please for me?" 

Silence rang for a few seconds and as Tony to leave, single glance back over his shoulder showed him the silhouettes of Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers, now adorned in the foam crown, as fireworks exploded around them.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed. I have quite a few of these little short things planned, so keep an eye out if my writings are something any of you are enjoying. Thanks again.


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